My Little Brother Can't Just Show Up Like This!
by squixn
Summary: A year has passed since the Kousaka siblings' relation change, and the landscape has become quite different. Ayase Aragaki, who still hasn't entirely gotten over the events, now discovers she might have a little brother of all things. With such an ordeal taking place not long before, just how are things going to turn out?
1. Chapter 1 - Family Complications

Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any rights to Oreimo: I'm merely a huge fan of the series.

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 **AN** : Whew, there's a few things I should get across before all of this. I feel the spirit of this story, at least this chapter, may differ from that of the original series. This isn't supposed to serve as a continuation, rather a separate story that could be somewhat plausible in the canon universe. I may have a take on a few characters that differs a little from the general consensus, at least on Ayase, as I feel she didn't get much development in the novels or the anime, but I've tried my best to stay true to character. I've taken quite a bit of liberty with the setting, the parents, the others... so, we'll see.

This is my first time ever making something public, so constructive criticism would be very much appreciated. In short, be sure to leave reviews!

Warning: May contain severe exposition.

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It was a rather ordinary day in the Aragaki household.

Tranquility resided in the air, a peaceful feeling that practically boiled with expectation. A trait exclusive to the last day before school started up again. A last moment of calm before events returned to what could be considered normalcy by most, or a removal of freedom by a select few. But in all cases, it marked the beginning in _something_.

On the fateful day, I was sitting around in my room, wasting away time doing nothing in particular. Beside me on the bed lay a teenage magazine opened on the third page. My face was staring back at me from the paper, smiling while doing a cutesy pose. The picture came from a recent photo shoot, which had gone quite well, if I do say so myself. My clothing on this picture consisted of a short casual shirt, a matching dark-blue top, and the pink hairpin serving as my only accessory. Removing it was usually necessary, but as it fit with the current style, keeping it was all right in that case.

Across the room stood a table, currently occupied by a small laptop, mostly used for school-related things, meaning it didn't see much love in the break. My small bookshelf stood on the opposite side, but as I was no avid reader and thereby didn't have any special preferences, a random selection of books was lined up to fill it up.

Shoved in under the bed was a basket filled to the brim with more magazines. Keeping up with the publications of my work does count as natural, I suppose. Unavoidably so, as a consequence of that work, my wardrobe had become filled up with clothes of all imaginable sorts, meaning things related to my modeling career made up much of the room's interior.

Despite all this, I didn't really feel work was such a large part of who I was.

It came more from the usual colleagues I had over there. My closest friends all worked in the same agency, this being a large factor to it currently occupying my thoughts. When something I enjoy doing becomes combined with those I hold dear, it should come as no wonder it would have a presence in my life.

I feel I may come across as the quintessential teenage model at times. However, I fail to see why it would bother me, frankly. As long as I knew my values, why should the opinion of others disturb that?

For the current situation, to put it bluntly, there was nothing to do. My friend Kanako was unavailable, finishing up the last remnants of her current work project. She seems to have found something she liked, finally. Being the official cosplayer for a well-known character may be regarded as peculiar, but some interesting turns have to be taken on the way to becoming a popular idol. And popularity she certainly possessed. Hell, all those otakus were practically worshipping her as a goddess. At least my support for her was unrelenting, even if at times all her auditioning took away from our time together.

I was partly at fault for that one, though. I had been the one to give her the "prompt", so to say. Pushing her into that competition… perhaps not the nicest thing to do, but the necessary means had to be employed in that situation. Urgent matters had to be dealt with.

Matters regarding my closest friend, the one many of my deeds have revolved around. Truly, that girl had the peculiar quality of somehow bending the world to center around her. Although this wasn't the trait I admired her for, it was a rather dominant one in Kousaka Kirino.

Kousaka Kirino… an unusual girl, for sure. Her looks, matching mine in all sorts of splendor, her ability to truly focus and put her all into something… and defying all odds, succeeding at them. Kind, caring about her friends… she seemed to be the perfect girl in every aspect. Behind all this though, she concealed being perhaps one of the biggest otakus on planet Earth. Her obsession with little sisters left me stupefied at times, and the huge array of merchandise hidden in her closet matched that standard of even the most dedicated collector. Much of it was considered indecent, and over time I'd come to hear about the troubles she'd had finding acceptance.

Originally, this had made quite a rift in our relationship. I stumbled upon her by chance, when she was heading home from the "Summer Comicket" with her friends that I didn't know of at the time. She first tried hiding it, denying her nature in front of me…essentially lying in my face. Obviously, this got no warm reception, not only because of the blatant lie but from the hobby itself. Otakus were a plague in society, having no regard for social norms and being at heart would-be criminals.

That's what I thought, at least. After much hassle and sacrifices, I got a little more clearance as to what it really was, and we ended up making up. Although the exact circumstances were a little strange…

Ugh… here I go again, rambling off about pointless things. When prompted by boredom, all sorts of things could emerge, even half-philosophical nonsense. I guess my mind did take strange turns when there was simply nothing to do. The day had progressed enough for it not to be worth leaving the house for a longer time, and I didn't really have any friends close enough to invite over aside from the aforementioned two.

I knew from sources that Kirino was unavailable today. She was spending time with her boyfriend.

Her brother, Kousaka Kyousuke.

Heh… even though over a year has passed since the events, I still cannot make it roll of my tongue properly. Indeed, my best friend has taken up the example from many of her games, and gone fully down the brocon route. Those things happened not too long after I myself confessed to that very person…

I am not the biggest fan of otakus even in the present day. I've made tremendous effort to shove aside my feelings about them, for Kirino, and how much I can tolerate it now comes largely from her and that very brother. Even so, their relationship stretched the line of propriety to its furthest possible ends, raising several questions of morality within me. Come to think of it, I was rejected by the one I liked for his little sister. Doesn't the very idea sound nonsensical? As if it came from a manga or something.

Nevertheless, this issue didn't have that terribly huge of an impact the present day, except for leaving my thoughts to rampage freely. Lying on the bed as your body ceases to function and your brain becomes hyperactive… there just wasn't any motivation for me to get up. I might as well get some extra rest before beginning my second year in high school, then.

However, life had other plans for me. As if lightning from clear sky, my mother's voice echoed across the house, being enough to make me scramble despite only reaching partly.

"Ayase! Dinner's ready!"

She expected no answer, as usual. Traversing the floors for food is such an everyday ordeal that one really doesn't give it much thought.

I left my room into the upper hallway, arriving a few steps from the stairs. I always did wonder why my room the one so close to the entrance, instead of the other one further in which just stood there vacantly. Perhaps I could move in there later. The layout was basically the same, so it wouldn't be hard to grow used to.

The not-so new wooden steps gave off all sorts of creaking noises as I went down into the entrance hall and entered the kitchen. Mom stood at the disk sorting out glasses automatically while talking with dad. She wore a red apron above a casual white sweater that day, managing to give off a vibe of fluffiness for some reason. Her hair was the splitting image of mine, currently in a ponytail, to avoid hanging into the food. Having everyone present at a meal wasn't as common as one might think. The majority of days dad was busy with work until late night, and I saw him for only a few hours. Having the position of a senator certainly came with its price, in the form of wagon-loads of work. But consequently, the pay supplied the family with more to spare.

Mom mostly took care of the chores at home, and worked only a few days. She did have some responsibility being the president of the PTA, but nothing too crazy. She had a tendency to be a little free-spirited, such suddenly deciding to renovate the entire interior of the living room, and showing interest in those twenty-gazillion types of things stores try and sell to us poor common folk. Bad days weren't in her dictionary, and regardless of how little it might be seen, her cheeriness tended to infect the rest of us. As for her more serious side… well, some of the stories she's heard working with the PTA and retells to us are the exact opposite of what I just described. That didn't change anything, though.

"Perfect, come sit right down, Ayase. Here's your food… Dear, look up from your newspaper when eating with your daughter!"

Her scolding was playful of nature, but the tone of it completely serious. Strangely enough, she always did her best to keep dad from getting absorbed whenever I was nearby. Normally, he would often space out or catch up on news in his free time, and forget about his surroundings. By no means was he an airhead, despite how this may come across. He was merely very focused and dedicated to his work. Obeying mom's request, he took a bite of his pickled vegetables.

"Thank you for the food, mom. Anything interesting happened at work recently?"

My sentence had over time become somewhat of a conversation-starter, while at the same time functioning as a conversation-killer as well. Basically, it conveyed the message of "I'm not too interested in talking right now, but let's not stay quiet". Of course not quite like this, but the original meaning's not entirely lost. Take it as you wish.

"Not too much as to speak of. Well, the endless stream of paperwork is as present as ever, however…"

I didn't pay much attention to what he said, as only a few snippets differed from what had been told a million times before. I wondered, was there something productive I could do? Like, I'd really hate for the remainder of this day to be wasted away senselessly. It's honestly baffling how stranded I felt without any of my friends to talk to. Sometimes I got the impression I didn't have life for myself. I managed to keep these thoughts in joke-territory, although I sometimes had difficulties when faced with situations like this. The conversation beside me flowed normally, without entering my ears whatsoever. Eventually, dad went back to his meal, as even mom had lost what little interest she had to begin with.

"It's good to see everyone home. Either you're at work, or Ayase is out with her friends... to be honest, I'm half surprised she's still home."

"Come on, mom, who do you take me for? I am here the majority of my time, technically."

"Sure enough, but half of those times you aren't alone… and sleep doesn't count!"

I digress. Mom was exaggerating grossly, to which I feigned being insulted, earning a slight chuckle. As much as I would like to deny, her words bore a sliver of truth. I should maybe consider picking up some sort of activity to do at home, to soothe all her motherly desires.

"Come to think of it… hasn't Kirino been coming over a little less than usual?"

Inadvertently, my back stiffened just a little. The topic of Kirino's whereabouts wasn't one to be disclosed to, well, anyone really. But as for her observation, it wasn't entirely false. She wasn't here quite as much as before.

"You're still friends, right?"

"Obviously, mom. Should we be best friends for years and suddenly fall apart for no reason? I'm still with her plenty of times, you know."

Admittedly not so much outside of work and soon again, school. The times we went to hang out together has lessened slowly but surely over this past year. By regular standards we were still inseparable, but a small scar had been left upon our relationship in those events, a scar that had yet to heal entirely. I was unsure if it ever would.

Nobody knew that aside from us, though, and nobody should know aside from us. Mom seemed to accept my answer without further ado, and lifted her fork. She probably didn't take the question too seriously in the first place, despite how I may've reacted to it.

All in all, the evening progressed just like many times before, only the very outside of its contents varying slightly. While at the table, I saw for myself returning back to the room, reading something or keep the rust of my cooking skills by making something to eat for everyone before going to bed. I could lend mom a hand in cleaning the dishes, perhaps. Judging from what had been said just now, she would probably appreciate the gesture.

Alas, my plans were thrown out of the window in a moment's time. In the middle of the meal, our chit-chat was suddenly disturbed by a ringing coming from the living room, which was interconnected with the kitchen. The phone had taken it upon itself to deliver the happening I so much yearned for.

House phones might perhaps be a little old-fashioned, but dad appeared to have taken a strange liking to them. Since it fit well into the "older house" mood and wasn't impractical per se, no one objected. Everyone had their own little mobile anyways.

"Hum… I'll go get it. It's probably nothing important anyways."

Having finished her meal, mom stretched her hands and went to answer the phone. Dad remained quiet, attention on the newspaper. His dark brown eyes stared intensely at the piece of paper, so much so that I wondered how they hadn't pierced a hole into it yet. Dad most certainly had an intimidating look to him, further enhanced by the short black hair and his usual dress. He was kind at heart, though. I think. Gaze moving from him to the living room, I took a minute to think about who the caller may've been. A friend? Something related to the PTA? Who knows. I was just taking the last bite of my meal when footsteps indicated mom's return.

They didn't, however, indicate the expression of shock that was apparent from her wide eyes. I got the impression she had trouble standing upright, not to mention opening her mouth and speaking up. The peaceful expression she had just minutes ago was nowhere to be found.

What was happening? If I hadn't known better, I would've said she was terrified about something. But that was a sight I had yet to see… mom never got visibly scared. Not by a simple phone call, at least. Nevertheless, I began tapping the table subconsciously, softly so that only I could've noticed it.

"Touma… his… his… they came across a… car. Not a single one…"

Why was she stuttering so? Not to mention, calling dad by his name. To this date, I've only ever heard her do that whenever something serious was at hand. Nothing she was saying made any sense whatsoever. I frankly didn't know what to think of her behavior.

Swallowing hard, mom swatted away a lock of hair from her forehead that escaped the hair tie, and got a little more grip of herself. Her face filling with determination, she closed her eyes before answering a more clearly.

"It's… it's about Kanata."

Dad immediately let the newspaper drop, and looked at her in earnest. Moments later, he hesitantly lifted one arm and adjusted his glasses, regardless of the fact that they fit completely perfectly.

"What happened, Ichika?"

Kanata? I knew of a few people at school called Kanata, but I doubted that any of those were the one my parents were talking about, and I didn't even know the age of this person. More importantly, dad also used mom's real name. If both suddenly got ticked off by something I'd never heard about… this was way too strange _._ I didn't know why, but I was growing increasingly sure that I had been left out of something, something potentially big. Well, it appeared as though I'd have to sit this one out before going back upstairs.

"Apparently, his parents went out one day and without any warning, got into a car accident and… well, passed away."

Dad stared motionlessly at the air in front of him, showing zero clear signs of being upset by the news of people they presumably knew dying. However, I knew my father well enough to tell that the whole thing was a mask. If he truly wasn't disturbed, he would ask about further details immediately, not grind his gears loud enough to be practically projected across the entire room.

"I'm sorry to hear that. It is always sad to hear people go, but what did they say to you? How does this relate to us?"

His voice was urgent, almost desperate, uncharacteristically so. He leaned forward just a little, like a puppy awaiting a snack. Except he was no puppy, rather a fully grown man known for keeping composure and going about everything effectively. Whatever this whole matter was, I began to realize that this couldn't possibly be something positive.

"There… after some investigation, it appears there are no relatives capable of taking care of him in."

A shadow seemed to be cast across his face, the glow of his eyes growing very hard to detect. In a smooth motion, he stood up and looked locked eyes with mom, who glanced away almost immediately. Both kept silent for a second.

"But they can't possibly mean what I think…"

"Yes. Yes, that is exactly what they do."

I got the impression that the two were having a silent conversation right in front of me. Obviously neither of them looked particularly thrilled about the subject, indicating something bad might have happened. I noted that the pressure my parents gave off stood in stark contrast to the pretty sunset outside, which would usually have been a pleasant sight. Had there been something that is capable of upsetting them to this degree, wouldn't it then affect me? I slowly raised my head, shoved down my suspicion and put on a happy tone, speaking up.

"Mom? Dad? Exactly what is going on here?"

Only the sound of a bubble bursting was missing from the events that played out in front of me. Both shook and turned in my direction, their gazes almost drilling through me, as intensely as they were staring. Had I intruded upon something? Something right in front of me? How did that even work?

"Oh, Ayase… how should I say this. I suppose that we ought to have told you by now…"

It was as if mom was furiously trying to communicate something to her partner without words, with no signs indicating any noticeable success. Or it might be that I just couldn't recognize those signs. I didn't know everything about them… as was becoming clearer and clearer with every passing moment.

"Yes, we should have. I did advocate for that in the first place, saying it would be for the better. All of this could've been averted in that case."

What did they not want to tell me? I'm their only daughter, and we're family. One of the key aspects of that is honesty. Can there really be something important they haven't told me of? Granted, I didn't spend the most of time with them nowadays, but this appeared to go deeper than that. Is there something particularly suspicious they had told me once? Any fairytale-like things they said long ago? I tried to recall, to no avail. My eyes may as well have been tinted with black, as blind as I felt.

"And I said she wasn't ready! How do you think she would've reac… no, let's not take up this again. We've put that behind us, and let's put hiding this all behind us as well."

Mom's voice hadn't a fragment of her gentleness in it this time. Simply letting out a tired sigh, dad sat down at the table, like one would do before something obligatory you wanted nothing more than to avoid.

"All right, let's take this slow. You're all acting really weird, as if you were arguing about entirely pointless things. Just what is up?"

Despite appearing casual on the surface, the way this conversation was going stirred up severe discomfort within me. Deep down, I wanted to have them calm down and talk it over. Apparently they have discussed this topic plenty of times already, without my notice, and I felt this was all too similar to the huge arguments I could vaguely remember around ten years ago. In the current situation, hearing them out quietly would be the best course of action. I have little doubts they have plenty to say.

"We had been planning on keeping this from you a little while longer. However, as things stand, there really is little point in doing that… well, how should I say this… Ayase. You have a little brother."

…Say what now? I arose from my chair, to better meet their eyes.

"A half-brother, to be exact. From your mother's side."

Upon hearing this exclamation, I slumped down, a sharp pain flashing up my leg, a pain I promptly ignored. Both of them looked a little afraid, but I could tell there was a suppressed curiosity to it. They are saying I have a brother? A younger one? Putting aside the impossibility, that means he was born after me… and a half-brother at that? That would mean mom had him after me, right? And I have never heard a trace.

"Sorry, that may've been a little abrupt, but it's necessary. You're probably feeling… well, at least a little shocked about…"

"Of course I do! You can't just go ahead and tell me something like this out of the blue! 'I have a little brother!' Have you considered that maybe I would've liked to know!?"

I shouted out, cutting off his sentence. A fair amount of anger had seeped into my voice, but frankly, it didn't concern me in the slightest.

"We had considered it on occasion. Actually, a long while back, we discussed it almost every week. Ultimately, we decided this is the best for you."

"Best for me? I appreciate the sentiment. Problem is, I don't think you could've been further from the truth if you deliberately tried to."

Dad stretched his hands and sighed in annoyance, adjusting his glasses once again. He was likely as unhappy about the entire ordeal as me, I realized. Rightly so, this conversation wasn't the one to be enjoyed. Sensing we had come to a halt, the person apparently responsible for this mess spoke up.

"Ayase, do you remember when you were little?"

She instinctually tried to take a tone that would calm us down. Only the soothing motions with her hands weren't in place for the immersion to be complete. Sorry, but it didn't quite have the intended effect. Did she try to downplay the importance of this? Signify that I shouldn't really care about it? My response sounded a little harsh in turn.

"Clearly you think I cannot handle what you told me. Well, to assure you of my mental stability, yes, I do remember my childhood."

Only tidbits from the very early days, something I wouldn't admit that if my life depended on it. We have always lived in this house, and it may very well have aged quite a bit under our stay, even if I almost never brought people over back then. I mostly played outside with some of the neighboring kids, the majority of whom had moved away.

I also spent a fair time at my grandparents'. They were really kind people, although my view on that might be a little influenced by being the "treasured grandkid", resulting in me being treated differently than other riffraff. We always used to watch kids' shows on that tiny television they had in the living room…

I'd constantly pester mom where my father was, when he came home, and go around playing with the few toys I had. Funnily enough, I could sit and watch for hours how she went about everyday chores back then. Upon remembering childish innocence, and even myself once being like that, my lips nearly curved into a smile. At least, as close as it gets bearing in mind the current happenings in front of me.

Noticing I had briefly spaced out, mom nervously glanced aside, as if deliberately avoiding me. Regardless of how this entire situation is, they never were particularly wary when telling me all sorts of things. In contrast, right now they seemed to actually be afraid of my response. Justly so.

"I'll try to explain the entire situation to you. Why don't we all sit down? This'll take a little while."

She turned to dad seeking support, but was apparently rejected, seeing as he refused to meet her eyes. Come to think of it, they did say that they argued about this quite a bit, and dust had clearly not settled, even now. But everyone sat down quietly, and I waited for the explanation, not fully knowing what to expect.

"Go ahead, Ichika. I won't interrupt."

Under his breath, dad uttered this sentence that I found mostly unnecessary. For someone who is a firm keeper of politeness, not interrupting another person talking was merely common etiquette. Regardless of me thinking this, it appeared to hold at least some kind of meaning for mom, who nodded in slight relief. Finally, she cleared her throat and began.

"It all started when you were around one year old, Ayase. Touma and I were a fairly recently married couple back then, happy and optimistic about life… the only downside was that he had to leave for nearly a year on business. We only heard of it a few months after you were born…" She trailed off for a second, as if reliving something painful. "We complained that this was exorbitant, that we just got a daughter… but our complaints met deaf ears. That was how he disappeared for an important time in your childhood."

I adjusted my chair, and mulled over what had been said. It really was quite unfortunate… no wonder I had zero memories of dad back then. In fact, I only really remember seeing my grandparents, mom, that friend… this, however, didn't even begin to soothe my anger.

"Obviously, we were unhappy. But I could take care of you alone with no issues. The real problems began when I got called in for nearly a month of constant work. I would be free for the following three months then, but without your father to watch over you, I wanted to decline. Alas, I was ultimately in no position to refuse." Even now, saying this seemed to evoke anger in her. "This did mean you had to stay with my grandparents for nearly month. Of course, I dropped by to visit you on occasion, even if my haggard state wasn't the best for you to see me in."

"So I stayed with grandma and pa? I don't know how long I was there, but I had a great time, if I recall."

Having to dig around in the dusty parts of my brain obviously took a fair amount of capacity, so my thoughts shifted more toward rationality. Not meaning I wasn't upset, just that… it faded into the background, to leave me space to better digest mom's words.

"I feel that we might be saying "work" a lot without actually going into what it means. I didn't just turn off my brain and fill out papers back there. As it happened, I met a fellow named Kaito. At first, we shared a cup of coffee during break, and did some small talk." She took a pause as if reminiscing. "Over time, we grew to know each other a little. He was vaguely aware of the situation of my relationship. I knew he came from a middle-class family, and recently moved out for independence."

"So I'm guessing he is the… person in question, then?"

I struggled to find the correct words express my thoughts. Perhaps "the one you cheated on dad with" would be accurate, but by zero means 'correct' to say here. It would come off as unnecessarily sharp, and likely make the entire conversation take a turn for the worse. I didn't want for our family to be strained like this.

"That would be right… but we're not there yet. So, when the day was over, some weeks after first meeting we'd spend some time just sitting around, talking at cafes and such. It really just served as a diversion from my dissatisfaction with how things had turned out."

"You must've been very dissatisfied, then…"

I quickly realized what I said, and felt my face going hot. Did I really just do that? I might as well have called her some more direct form of insult, and it'd have the same effect. This… this was unlike me, right? I've heard my tongue could be sharp, but I never really felt so before now.

Mom ignored it, blessedly, but dad's eyes darkened even further, if that was possible at this point. No, I had taken being on the accusing end a little too far, it seems. The temptation to apologize burned in me, which I shoved down lest this went even more south.

"We quickly grew closer, being together nearly every day after finishing up in the office. Despite my instincts faintly warning me, and deep down knowing all too well this maybe wasn't proper, I didn't object. I deluded myself into thinking this was the remedy life provided me with to endure the situation."

I peeked at dad, trying to see what he's thinking. One thing's for sure, I wouldn't have been able to calmly listen to this in his position. But the usual composure governed again, and he kept his promise perfectly. His dependability in that was not to be underestimated, if one thing was to be said.

"Unsurprisingly, it soon grew out of proportion and we got a little too comfortable. One time, I brought him over to see you, Ayase. I introduced him to my parents as a friend, and we both played with you for some time. You were in a good mood that day… that laugh of yours was so adorable. Well, that very same night, our relationship came to an abrupt end."

For a moment there, she faraway look on her face. Almost immediately afterwards, her previous state returned.

"I honestly don't want to go into the details… let's just longing, a good amount of confusion and alcohol was involved. I can't remember who initiated, he or me. All in all, it really doesn't matter. We both agreed to cut ties afterward."

So it just… happened? I had no comment. Affairs between people… they constantly popped up in novels, movies, all sorts of entertainment. Being a frequent theme in media, one really grows accustomed to not caring or taking a minute about what happened. Even I, whenever I come across such a development, just try to figure out what it means for the overall story. The feelings of persons involved and such wasn't something to take into consideration.

Never had it occurred to me it could happen in our family. Now obviously, everyone thinks that, but in my case it is justified. All the time I had known them, my parents were honest with each other and valued propriety, manners and etiquette highly. To think that something so… I don't even know how to say it, something that so feels everyday but is almost unheard of, something that is the polar opposite of what my parents are had been right under my nose essentially my whole life….

"Then you discovered it, right?"

"Yes, apparently all means of prevention had failed, as became clear a month later. At first, I was terrified; how would I face Touma, what would I say to Kaito… after some lamentation, I called up your father and…"

"Ichika, we don't need to go into that. I can take over from this point. Ayase, after informing my superiors of the events, I got permission to head home and sort things out. You were once again scooped off to your grandparents not to overhear our… discussion. That very obvious decision was perhaps the best one we'd made in our entire life."

The sun had progressed a fair amount downward since beginning our conversation, and no signs indicated we'd be finished before it disappeared entirely. Silence accompanied its trip, a silence I almost wished was replaced with the screaming they so hinted at.

No, get a grip of yourself, Ayase. It's clear your parents are as ashamed as you, and were just as, if not more shocked than you are now. Shut up and listen.

"You can probably guess this could've been grounds for divorce. I did consider it as well; you can likely imagine how I felt in that situation. While being away working for the family, my wife goes ahead and gets tangled up in this. As if my efforts were not only disregarded, rather deliberately mocked. I knew she didn't intend so, but remaining rational wasn't easy."

"But you're still together? I… how did that happen?"

Normal people would be nowhere near each other if something like this happened. Yet these two have made up enough to hide everything from me? Enough for it to essentially be discovered by chance? As if someone had installed a rollercoaster in my stomach, my emotions were thrown around into a mix of confusion, anger and amazement.

"I had to ask myself one thing: Would I get hung up and ruin our entire marriage, our dreams and hopes, and the childhood of our daughter? Or no matter how much it stung, remember that my wife is human, that much of the reason was me not being here? To ignore the feeling of betrayal and forgive her? When put this way, all became much clearer."

"So you two made up? What about… Kanata, then?"

Sensing the pressuring atmosphere having been partially lifted, I nearly sighed in relief. However, remembering that name, the relief vanished. All this they'd kept from me? If they just sat down to have a conversation with me some years ago, I wouldn't have had to find out like this. Kirino's brother told me that I could at times be scary. I myself didn't share this sentiment, but if someone said it now, I'm not sure if disagreeing with them could be counted as reasonable.

"Well, even though I forgave her and we ended up reconciling, as you can probably see, not everything is quite settled. My condition for accepting this all was simple: the child couldn't stay in this house. Luckily, once we told that man of everything, he instantly agreed to take care of him."

"Still, how did you keep this secret from me? Surely mom's pregnancy is something I would've noticed…"

"Remember, you were less than two years old back then. Whenever you got curious about the size of your mother's belly, we just said something along the lines of 'because she had eaten so much'."

Well, I can't really hold them at fault for that. Telling small, white lies to kids that meddle in matters they shouldn't… doesn't every parent do that? Even those that abhor lies.

"You were sent off to your grandparents again, while Ichika was in hospital. Soon thereafter, the child got picked up by the father, and we haven't seen them since, only heard that they were doing fine a few times. The consequences this had for the entire family is… unnecessary to mention."

All the cards had been laid on the table, it seems. My mother had come into an unfortunate affair in a time of weakness, for which they were both partially at fault. Then this whole debacle played out, and the two continued their relationship… Of course, I now had now been provided with the explanation for the arguments they had around a decade prior. Probably on the subject of telling me. I sincerely wish they did. Way to ruin my last free day.

Not to mention, they have basically been lying to me most of my life. Being the president of the PTA, mom often told me stories of things happening among local families and teenagers, which I now recognize greatly influenced my view on standard morality, what one shouldn't do… Now I find out the very person telling me all that is caught up in very much the same. Is it any wonder my very fundamentals were shaken?

As for her motivation for telling me those things… perhaps to make sure I don't commit the same mistakes? To succeed where she failed? I was just throwing wild speculation around at this point. Having learned of all this being quietly in ascendancy for how they behaved, and how I was raised…

"I… need to think about this, to find out to forgive you or not. However, mom, the phone call just now… his parents died in an accident, right? And there's a lack of relatives capable of taking him in?"

Every facet of logic pointed toward the answer I almost refused to think of. I was unsure of the reason for my reluctance; if it really was true, my life could be turned upside down, my peace be gone for good. Although, I suppose that was unavoidable at this point… a stone had been hurled into the middle of my life, and the current words were the waves battering relentlessly at the shore.

"The call right now was a request that he be allowed to live here for an… unspecified amount of time."

No one wanted to respond to the question we'd all quietly arrived at, so we sat and stared at the air in front of us, attempting to further digest and sort out our thoughts. We're to decide whether he can stay here. And this decision will impact someone's life in a huge way, aside from ours. I don't know where he'll end up if we say no. An orphanage? Foster parents? I doubted any of those would do much good him. Not that I could know anything about that, as I had never met… my brother, apparently.

Finally, mom opened her mouth, carefully considering every word that left lips.

"Well, if the need should arise, I don't think it'd be impossible to fit him in… the room upstairs has stood empty for a long while now. The beginning of the school year would be the best time to move…"

"Don't you remember, Ichika? He wouldn't stay in this house. I still stand by that. Furthermore, think about it; food, clothes, god knows how many extras… not to mention what he represents."

Right... the issue of money wasn't one to be neglected, and for what he represented… my opinions differed from his on that, but I could absolutely understand his point of view. Forgiving his wife after all these events, then have the very personification of that be implanted into the household…

Mom took a deep breath, and took a moment to sort out her thoughts before beginning.

"Yes, I remember! How could I forget? But Touma, regardless of the circumstances, he is still my son! You're completely right, we did agree he wouldn't live here. But things have changed over the last decade. Had you asked me any other time, or if things had been a little different, I'd have been the last one to suggest this. However, with the current outlook, all sense of decency dictates that we help the poor child!"

Even I was a little surprised at the passion in her voice. Dad seemed taken aback, a look of mild disbelief on his face, as if he was unsure of what to do. I acknowledged that he is in the right, technically. Both had agreed to the main point of his argument. Normally, this would've been the end of it, if mom wasn't correct as well. My thought process apparently reflected dad's, who seemed to arrive at a similar conclusion.

"A promise is a promise. We're both on the same page there, aren't we? …But, you're also partly right. Don't we two try to be moral? I agree that your proposal is probably the… moral one in this case. I'd be inclined to do as you say… but I simply can't bring myself. Do you understand what I mean? I can't help but remember everything that happened whenever we talk about him. To have him here… I'm not sure what'd happen."

"We're at an impasse here… just like before. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, the beans have been spilled. Ayase… what do you say we should do?"

Amidst their exchange, I had nearly forgotten to speak. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Come on, this is what I've been waiting for. To actually have a say in the matters regarding my life. After being left out of this for the last ten years or so, being lied to, I could finally try to help in the mess my parents had created.

"I agree with dad. That he can't stay in this house… all the present parties said so. And both of you told me that these things are to be kept. Not to mention, you two hid from me that I have a brother. You lied to me… and to bring him here would be to stare that lie in straight in the face. No wonder I don't really want to have him here."

None of them showed any explicit signs hinting at their reaction, but I could make out a twinge of sadness creeping into the eyes of mom. I fully meant what I said. This situation wasn't one for jokes.

"However, what's right doesn't always agree with our desires. He just lost both his parents, and we refuse to help him because of our squabbles? Quite the people we are. Yes, we have the possibility of accepting him. Who knows how it'll go? We'd all come to terms with it in some way regardless. What's an inconvenience for us compared to life and well-being of someone? As much as it pains me to say this… we should let him come."

Even as I said that, I hoped for some circumstance or another it wouldn't be necessary, although I knew better by then. My words seemed to have been taken into consideration. Very much so, in fact.

"Well… hasn't our daughter grown up under our noses? I think you're right, Ayase. After all, what is wealth for if not to help out those in need? Also, you haven't had a chance to say anything about this until now, so it's only fair we take you into account. Don't you agree, dear?"

Mom appeared to have regained some of her usual mood, probably because of me supporting her. It wasn't entirely my intention, but… no reason to be upset about it. Dad squirmed around, eyes darting between his daughter and wife. He clearly didn't want to surrender, but knew deep down he really should at this point. Basically, he was pitting his sense of reason against his emotions. For such a man as himself, it must've been a gruesome experience.

We observed quietly for a little while longer, until he exclaimed raggedly:

"So be it. Until everything gets sorted out, I'll do my best to turn a blind eye."

He arose, and had to put in conscious effort into every step. As he left for the office, I turned to look at mom, who met my gaze, almost seeming to give off an aura of peace. Before she had time to say anything, I cut her short.

"Mom, the only reason I said what I said was because I think that is what's right. Nothing more. I still haven't completely made up my mind how I feel about this."

She nodded in understanding, her face displaying perhaps a little shame. With how alike the two of us were, it felt a little like staring into a mirror. I never could stay too mad at her… even if this time, I suspected it would be more lasting. I stood, and closed off the conversation.

"I'm heading up to my room. Chances are I won't be coming down today. Good night."

"Good night."

I nearly got to the door before being interrupted again.

"Ayase, about your father… try not to be too hard on him, okay? You know how he can be."

"I'll try, but I won't promise anything. …On another note, when do you think… he'll arrive?"

"I'd assume within the week. I'll go respond to them now. The call was urgent, but packing all the things is probably going to take a little time."

Leaving off at that, I climbed the stairs to arrive at the hallway in front of my room. It hadn't been terribly long since initially left, come to think of it. The black carpet still decorated the floor, covering the pattern of brown wood inlaid with black dots everywhere except for the very edges. Halfway faded white tapestry, a wooden shelf with a mirror on top and dark green going around the edges… still the same. Funny how so much could change in such a short amount of time, yet leave no visible mark on any of its surroundings.

I entered my room, slumping down on the bed with my eyes on the ceiling. The magazine from earlier hadn't moved a millimeter, and seemed to stare into my eyes, as if trying to convey something. Lifeless piece of paper, back to your place. I wouldn't tolerate it in my right now, not in my current mood.

Exactly what mood was it? I didn't know myself. Angry? Partly. Upset? Absolutely. Most of all, my instincts screamed to shove it away, not to dwell on it too much. I knew very well that the sooner I digested it, the better, but I lacked the strength. Perhaps school tomorrow might distract me from it. Despite only introductory events happening on the first day, in a setting with so many people one rarely had the time to focus on external matters.

That would no longer be a possible in the coming days. After all, my brother I didn't know I had would move into the room only a few meters from mine. In fact, only a few walls separated them. Putting aside all the issues of acceptance, a new person in the household drastically changes things, for better or worse. Hoping not to run into him was simply delusional, and entirely impossible. Well, I suppose ignoring him is an option, however improper. Having it in the back of my mind as a reserve cannot hurt.

How would I break the news to my friends? Bringing up the topic of siblings with Kirino… I nearly laughed out at the thought. Not that there should really be any reason for it to be particularly funny… nevertheless, I'll definitely avoid to lingering on that subject.

The main issue is the entire family debacle. I suppose that going into the explicit details is unnecessary, although they might get a little curious with too many unanswered questions. Ugh… I still had a few days decide how I felt about all this. Yes, I'd gladly partake in the chance to delay all uncomfortable pondering, no matter how deleterious it might prove in the future.

Kanako should be free after school tomorrow. Perhaps we could go shopping around Shibuya or something. Being with her tended to set my mind at ease, for a reason unknown to me. Her often childlike attitude had the ability to make all my worries seem insignificant as I observed it in action. We had never discussed it, but she appeared to have recognized this fact, which was probably her reason for showing it to me more often than to others, even Kirino.

She might come along as well. Kyousuke most likely was busy with sorting out his university business, the finer nuances of which I hadn't been involved in. I hadn't any reason to be involved either; I was only a friend to him. A friend, not too particularly close. Not enough for us to really meet aside from when Kirino was in the picture, unlike a year prior. I also seemed to have a tendency to unconsciously avoid him. I would still talk to him and share a few jokes on occasion. Not much further beyond that. I knew about as little of the reason for this as your man on the street did. Well, since he couldn't be with Kirino, she may have a little more time for others.

While I prepared to take a shower, I noted how I hadn't heard any raised voices coming from downstairs during my entire stay up here. Taking it as a good sign, I headed over across the hall, and closed the door to the bathroom behind me. We had both a bathtub and a shower, although only the shower saw active use nowadays. Since fashion held a fairly important role in my life, the types of body lotions, shampoos and other cosmetics in the bathroom reached for the skies, by a regular person's perspective. It didn't matter, in the grand scheme of things.

After finishing, I left the cabinet reinvigorated, quickly putting on pajamas before wrapping a towel around my hair. It was just about time to go to sleep… if one wanted to rest up properly, anyways. My parents kept their promise of not bothering me, until I headed to the kitchen to grab a last bite. As I sat down to finish my slice of bread, mom entered from the living room, displaying a neutral expression.

"Are you all right, Ayase?"

"Yes. Why?"

I had no desire for longer conversations, which I attempted to signal through conciseness.

"No… it's not important. Are you looking forward to school tomorrow?"

"I guess so."

"That's good, then. Listen, between the two of us… once Kanata arrives…I don't really know his personality, or what he likes. But I can imagine losing his family was a traumatizing experience. For some reason, I feel as though getting close enough to support him in my position would be nigh impossible… so I'll ask you. Keep an eye on him, would you? He is your little brother… after all.

"If you ask so… I'll try. I'll try."

Mom appeared content with my answer. Closing off further discussion, I left and headed to brush my teeth, mulling over what she said. To keep an eye on him? I was pretty sure she meant help him get settled into the household, make sure he's all right. It could help me better get used to him, hopefully accept him… yes, this favor wasn't a too large one.

So, school. I'd get to meet my new class, into which unluckily neither Kirino nor Kanako had been placed. Unfortunate, but as I had already gotten over the initial shock, dwelling on it further was unnecessary. I'd have the last few days of the new semester like before, then… well, a new person would appear.

Setting my alarm for seven in the morning, I slumped onto my bed, draping myself in my blankets. The sun had set, but small fragments of its light could still be seen, though mostly obstructed the flat row of similar-looking houses in our neighborhood. A very fine one it was; plenty of room for youngsters to run around and play, an activity I myself sometimes partook in, at least during my early childhood. I should enjoy what semblance of peace I would have in the following days, and appreciate the normalcy. While it wasn't one of my values, and I exactly didn't revel in it, one can hardly deny it has a certain charm to it.

On that happy note, I drifted into dreamland. Or more precisely, I did so after struggling to quell the unrelenting assault of thoughts attempting to fill my head and keep me awake. Phantom images of what might be coming in the future… neither positive nor negative. They made me roll around in anticipation nevertheless.

Roll around… in anticipation. Hold on a second… I couldn't possibly be excited about this… right?

* * *

 **AN** : As a side note, I first learned of the existence of the other Ayase-brother story around a week after finishing this draft. Here I thought I was being so terribly original... well, although it holds no significance to the story, I felt it's worth mentioning.


	2. Chapter 2 - Arrival

Disclaimer: I do not own or claim any rights to Oreimo: I'm merely a huge fan of the series.

* * *

 **Ayase**

The alarm clock woke me from my slumber at exactly 7 AM. Just as expected. Sudden, unprecedented alarm malfunctions are something only seen in manga and such, right?

I didn't get too much sleep last night, probably because of getting riled up the day before, not to mention the unshakable tension night before school start. Nothing to do about that. A twinge of drowsiness hovered over me while getting dressed, and therefore, I made use of my trusted countermeasure. A secret technique known as humming. If a part of my brain actively focused on it, my tiredness was kept at bay, I discovered.

My school uniform was rather simple. A crisp light-brown jacket with a plain white shirt under and a short, grey skirt so typical of high school coming under. To round it off, a pair of grey stockings. While I suppose simplicity was its main focus, I frankly found it boring. I much preferred the one from middle school. But I digress. People who complain about unchangeable things are wasting their time, me included. So I finished the process of dressing in calm and peace, trying to condition myself to the sunlight by opening the curtains.

In the end, my figure trudging down the stairs while making a futile attempt at humming counterpoint might actually have been mistaken for cheery. In fact, I even managed to fool myself. Hold on, was it considered longer fooling if the person doing said fooling convinced themselves? Or the forcible change of mood?

Putting that aside, I entered the kitchen and did some involuntary stretching. As I prepared to make my breakfast, plus lunch, my stomach came with a grim reminder about its desire to eat in the form of some rumbling. Since food was mostly neglected during yesterday's talks, aside from the meal just before it, I went to bed mostly on an empty stomach. I'd just have to increase the size of the breakfast. After all, it's the most important meal of the day.

As Mom had not yet woken up, I had the kitchen all to myself. And Dad, he's already left. At times it could feel like he didn't do anything but work, often going from seven to eight or even later. I myself fancied the looser work hours that came with modeling, as I strongly suspect I'd go mad otherwise, but…

Back to the matter at hand, the result was Dad being absent as well. Well, perhaps it was for the best. A few days would probably be needed for the awkwardness to entirely fade into the background and our daily lives to return to normalcy.

I finished preparing my bentou-box and took my time leisurely biting bits of my bread. The walk to school took about twenty minutes, which meant I had about half an hour to get ready. Make-up and doing my hair didn't take very long; neither did getting my bag and fixing it up for use. I suppose it couldn't hurt to be a little early. Usually, Mom woke up about now, and I saw her for a few minutes before leaving. Not this time, then. I put on my shoes, took a deep breath for seemingly no reason, and opened the door.

No one was outside. No surprise there. Kirino and I sometimes went to school together, but even then, I was usually the one to wait for her. Walking with her was quite enjoyable, which really is just a statement of fact, regardless of quarrels or whatever else may come in the way between us. Well, that isn't entirely correct. The one thing capable of making that experience vanish is simply not speaking. We hadn't exchanged a word for the last two days. She was busy; I was busy (not really), so no one made any contact.

I closed the door behind me, and sat out on the way. During the trip, my brain went into sleep-mode, and the recent tendency to get derailed and waste mental capacity on random things was shoved aside for keeping tabs on my stamina. While the process of regulating one's speed usually took place in the subconscious, I made it a top priority for the time.

Still, it couldn't completely overshadow the almost annoyingly comfortable sunlight. Since no clouds were there to dampen it, I got the full force. Spring mornings really were something special. Add in a cold breeze, and the balmy warmth and peace makes you forget about all your worries. Aside from cherry blossoms, only a few smiling faces were missing for the complete picture. I felt a small throb somewhere in my chest upon the thought, and broke out in laughter immediately after. What was that? I'm getting that sentimental?

Some time later, I was turning the corner to school, and had spaced out just a little. Just a teeny-tiny bit. Of course, this resulted in me nearly smashing right into Kanako.

"Whoa there, Ayase! I understand being happy to see me, but aren't you going a little overboard?"

She let out a chuckle, busy with balancing herself from the rapid dodge that came just moments before.

"Why, of course. Now, come here…"

"Hey…"

I hugged her and playfully rubbed the top of her head, an action possible due to our differences in height. She had little means of escaping my grasp, so she just rolled her eyes while enduring it. Finally, she took a step back and sighed.

"Good to see you too, I guess? And some warning would be appreciated next time."

"But I thought you liked it?"

"That… doesn't matter."

She turned her head away, stroking a hand through her hair. Ah, Kanako. Never fail to cheer me up, do you?

We strolled leisurely through the school yard, surrounded by the large flock of people streaming in, as to not be late on the first day. The two of us didn't really stand out in such a rush, unlike how it went on, say, the streets. People were used to each other, after all, and probably knew the names of those in their grade, if nothing more. The total number of students attending the school wasn't so terribly high, so it really counted as common knowledge.

"So, what've you been doing lately, Ayase?"

"Nothing, really. Sitting at home like some fish. What about you? How's work coming along?"

Following a small yawn, Kanako scratched the top of her head.

"Pretty well, I guess. Things are moving along, but man, how tired I am! I envy you and your healthy sleeping schedule."

"Hey, I wasn't the one accepting extra work before thinking! You're a young girl in the middle of growth… then again, if one doesn't grow, what's extra sleep for?"

"Foo. That's low. Very low."

Kanako furrowed her brows, faking anger. As always, her height posed somewhat of a sensitive topic. Of course, this made for excellent opportunities to tease her.

"Yes, quite literally low."

"You're evil, do you know that?"

Both of us broke out into laughter, raising a few eyebrows. Two people laughing without care for the world in the middle of the hallway, while not too uncommon of a picture, wasn't appreciated, not with the current atmosphere. Many people likely resolved to improve themselves for the new semester, and are going to be in a state of nearly laughable seriousness for a few days. Personally, I found that stupid, despite the core notion being fair enough. You're in your high-school years, for crying out loud. Have some fun, or something.

Before long, time came when we had to branch off. As I've mentioned, Kirino and Kanako and I were sorted in different classes, meaning our time together at school would suffer a little cut. I was hoping to meet Kirino before class began, but… guess I'd have to wait for break.

"Time to go, eh? See you later Ayase."

"Mhm. See you!"

Kanako headed off to the classroom on the other end of the hallway, while I took a right turn and entered the one that'd be my home for the next year. At first glance, it was like any ordinary room. A table in front of a blackboard, shelves to the sides, several rows of seats in the middle.

Even with a closer look, it remained an ordinary classroom. A few windows off to the side, white-colored walls without any notable specks. In this situation, I didn't mind normalcy. Studies were important in one's future, and disturbances in the room one would spend a lot of time in might hinder that.

I found my seat, in the window row to the left. It appeared I got lucky enough to be assigned the place furthest to the back, though not the one beside the window. If my experience from last year could be trusted, we'd have these places for a fairly long time. So, if things got boring, slacking off would be an option. Not that I'd do that, mind you. Just as a reserve.

Glancing over to the table beside me, I found the paper bearing the name of the person who'd be my companion at school for at least a few weeks. "Hayami Sayaka", it read. Hayami..? I've heard her name before, but since we had no reason to interact, due to being in separate classes, I didn't really know her at all. Another thing that'll change, it seems.

Change… hold on a second. The biggest change that'd come in the near future… right, my brother. Would you look at that… I'd completely forgotten about that during the talk with Kanako. Turns out my hope for school helping to take my mind off of it really was true. It's a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. Such a topic wasn't one to bring up the moment we meet, anyways, so it doesn't matter if I forgot. Hm… I've had worse starts than today, certainly.

The desk beside me remained vacant almost until the minute before the clock sounded. During that time cliques formed, as expected, but for now I decided against socializing and waited out the time before it rang. I didn't really feel like approaching them right now. Perhaps later.

"Excuse me, could you hop in just a little bit? I'm not terribly keen on getting crushed while trying to pass through."

Shaking my head as to clear it, I quickly turned toward the voice's owner. I found a girl standing behind me, apparently wanting to get through to the seat next to me. Since I didn't notice her, it means she came in a way that avoided my line of sight… and coincidentally, that path appeared to avoid most of the cliques as well. Clever.

"Um, of course. Come on through..."

I trailed off, unsure of what to say. The girl, presumably the Hayami Sayaka that the paper indicated, passed by and sat down, seemingly unconcerned as she peered out the window. It looked like she wasn't intent on continuing our conversation… the lack of closure irritated me just for a moment, before being cut off by the bell.

People quickly rushed to their places, as the chatter previously filling the room gradually subsided. Our teacher entered the classroom, and sat down at the table before the blackboard, and began a short monologue about the importance of studies, propriety, and dedication. As the same stuff's been pushed down our throats since at least middle school, I think it's safe to say very few people paid attention.

In the meantime, I took some time to study the girl beside me. Currently, she was scribbling something on a piece of paper which I couldn't clearly see. Or no, not scribbling, but drawing. Huh… I guess it doesn't really matter.

Her red hair of sizable length, however, was clearly visible, running down till a little below her shoulders. One didn't often see the color red, but I actually liked it. Despite this, I don't think she could be described as beautiful per se. Cute is probably a more fitting word. Aside from said color, the word "average" didn't hit too far from mark.

From what I could see, we were about the same height, and had similar-colored eyes. Hers were a tad lighter shade of blue, matching her hair. Hm, did I always have the habit of immediately comparing looks after meeting someone? I seem to be swimming in strange habits recently.

And so, our dear _sensei_ 's talk came to an end, prompting an unheard sigh of relief from most residents of the room. On my part, I was too busy observing the girl beside me from the corner of my eyes, and just generally spacing out. I paid some attention to what the teacher was saying, but only a negligible amount. Therefore, the announcement of "since you're all tired and break's in a quarter, why don't we have some chit-chat?" escaped my notice.

Only when the room practically exploded in chatter did I register what had happened. Really, the description of 'aloof-minded' was constantly growing in accuracy, which scared me slightly. If this kept up, I'd grow wings and float away.

Having finished chiding myself, I turned toward my companion. At first, she kept staring at the blackboard, ignoring me entirely. About ten seconds later, filled with constant pressure from my eyes, she let out a sigh and turned towards me.

"So, how's your day going?"

She leaned forward, staring me square into the eyes. In fact, the distance between our faces bordered the obscene, in a sense.

"Well, um, sorry, what?"

"You know. Enjoying the weather? Excited for school? The usual stuff."

The reply came almost before I'd even finished talking. Almost like physical pressure, the aura she gave off made me almost take a few steps backward. I couldn't tell whether she was being deliberately menacing…

"Er, yes, I quite liked the weather. How about you?"

"Of course. It practically had me screaming in joy. Could happiness be converted into electricity, I would've supplied the entire world with power for several decades."

"Right… good to see you're having fun… Hayami? Can I call you that?"

"Jumping straight to introductions? I suppose that's acceptable, after exchanging meaningless small talk. Hm… just call me Sayaka. I find all this relation-establishment within names to be a bother, Ayase. We're basically neighbors, anyways."

"O-okay, then, Sayaka. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

She nodded, opening her sketchbook slightly so that only she could see. What eccentricities might she be hiding there? Judging from her… unusual demeanor, I couldn't even guess. At this point, I was beginning to doubt any intentions of malice … I think she might just have been that socially inept. I suppose it's better than getting some gyaru…

Still, she seems like a good enough lass. At least, I don't think we'll hinder each other in studies. That's one plus-point, a pretty significant one. We were, after all, on a first-name basis… might've been the fastest one in my life yet. First names, first impressions… though those two terms weren't usually interchangeable, in my current case, the normal process held no merit.

Following our exchange, I proceeded to stare into nothingness in wait for break. Or rather, at my classmates going about talking with friends. Must be nice… I cast one last glance at Sayaka, before the explosion inadvertently brought by the bell arrived. Although there was no reason to hurry, I found myself slightly pacing on the fifteen-meter trip between the two classrooms. I guess I wanted to see Kirino that badly, huh?

My entrance drew no attention, as there was full-blown traffic chaos due to people rushing everywhere to see their friends, go outside or to the toilets. Therefore, I managed to sneak up on them without their notice. I weighed my options for a moment, before deciding to go with the simple one.

"Hey! My head! Who's over there… oh, Ayase!"

I gave Kirino a small, friendly knack on the top of her head. This greeting couldn't exactly be called uncommon, but never failed to get a reaction.

"Hello there!"

Shooting her a smile, I took seat on one of the currently vacant desks just beside, and made myself comfortable. With my arrival, all of us were finally present. As I turned back toward them, I noted how those two had been lucky enough to get seated beside each other. I pursed my lips just a little in reaction, for no reason.

"It was the stupidest excuse I've ever heard! But Black One will absolutely succumb soon, right, Kanako?"

"Sure…"

"Wonderful! Well, now that we're all here, we can finally get back to… hm, no, not quite."

Kirino quickly glanced around the classroom, reminding me of a dog eagerly sniffing for something.

"Ayase, don't you feel like something is missing?"

"Oh? Well… er…"

I was still in the middle of attempting to piece together their conversation just now. The Black One… that could only mean Ruri, aka Kuroneko. Kirino's self-proclaimed best friend… although I don't know whether that claim is still refutable today. Though what the succumb thing was about is beyond me. There could be a million things these two wanted her to "succumb" to. Best not to think about it…

Blinking rapidly in order to return to this world, I finally realized what Kirino meant with "missing".

"Right! Where are the others? They usually come to hang out, no?

"Dunno. Maybe they got tired of that scary gaze of yours?"

"Hey, I'm not scary, right? Kirino?"

"Dunno. Are you?"

We went silent for a second, before I snorted and turned away. I was unsure how to react to their amused chuckles that came in turn. Fine, go ahead and make fun of me all you want. It's not like that exact phrase annoys me or anything... hmpf.

For the rest of the break, we exchanged stories, banter, and whatever else that might've come up. Kanako's work schedule's quite unforgiving lately, as she brought to our attention several times. Kirino was as cheerful as ever… just as adorable and light-hearted as before. She didn't seem to, at least visibly, share my feelings of distance holding, something that probably was for the best. Of course we didn't discuss her whereabouts the days before, and even for me it came only as a fleeting thought. Hell, I don't know why I thought about it in the first place. Needless to say, despite having a bigger observer role than usual, my spirits were lifted considerably once it became time for me to head back.

"As I said, clubs are out of the picture. How do you think I'd find time- oh, Ayase! That's right, you're leaving… take care? Don't trip?"

"Even I can manage a ten-second trip alone. I think."

"Eh, with how strange you've been looking, I'm not so sure. …Hey? What's with the look?"

Kirino's expression turned slightly reserved as I caught myself staring at her intensely, which probably drew the reaction. I looked away, attempting to wash away any discomfort my gaze may've caused.

"What do you mean "strange"? I'm pretty well, if I do say so myself."

"I can't quite put my finger on it, but… don't you seem a little different today? As if you've become… more reserved or something?"

Frankly, I should've anticipated this development. She always could see when something was up. So, how to wiggle out of it?

"Geez, Kirino, I think you're looking into things too much. I'm perfectly fine, I said."

Kirino grew silent, and arose in one smooth motion. Before I could even blink, she stood before me, eyes showing a hint of concern. The way her head was slightly angled surely would've made those of the opposite gender swoon.

"Did anything notable happen recently?"

Why did she always hit so close to the mark?

"Huh? Notable?"

"You know, something that might've made you all strange?"

"N-no, not as I recall…"

"Come on, are you completely sure? Like… your grandparents died or something?"

"They're alive and kicking, thank you very much! What kind of example is that? But anyways, Kirino, I've got to go back to class. See you later!"

Turning away, I took off just slow enough for it not to be considered running. Thankfully, she didn't stop me, although I very likely triggered all sorts of alarm signals within her. Case in point, they practically pierced my back with their eyes. Having said that, my pace still wasn't fast enough, as I still managed to catch a short sentence from Kanako.

"Something totally happened."

And I needed not see her to clearly visualize the smug expression that would grace her face in such a situation. Not to mention, she wasn't even wrong. Why didn't I tell them? All this achieved is suspicion and discomfort. Really, it's the closest I've ever come to an action that perfectly fits the definition of "counterproductive". Not exactly the sort of achievement I strive for, in any case.

Might it be that I cannot fully accept it myself, and don't want to imbue with it the last fragment of normalcy, especially here in school? Should that be the case, why am I even dwelling on it this much? No matter. What's done is done. I'd just wait as long as I can, in that case.

Arriving back in the classroom, I found my seat again, drawing a few curious glances due to the late timing of my return. I gave an apologetic smile to the air, and stared at the blackboard wordlessly.

So passed the rest of school. I talked with Sayaka about as much as one would expect the first day of meeting, and by some divine intervention, Kirino didn't bring up my issues for the rest of the day. We actually found out that today was all right for everyone, and that we'd go on the shopping trip, the thoughts of which I had entertained in my mind before. My new class seemed nice enough, and the "new" is even a bit of a stretch. Some of them I knew from last year and those before. All in all, aside from the slight hump posed by a certain not-so intelligent response, the day was quite ok.

So came the way home. Once again, Kirino and I walked together on the more or less twenty minute long trip. To my relief, the discussion of mundane topics was our choice of conversation, which I more than gladly accepted. With the sun warming our backs, and the blowing wind preventing things from growing uncomfortable, a smile was prompted.

"Say, Ayase, do you have some time off next week?"

"I'm not really sure, off the top of my head. Why?"

Kirino tilted her head to one side in consideration. Her gears seemed to grind for a few seconds, before she laughed out mischievously.

"Nothing you need to know yet, kuku. But I thought you knew your schedule in and out? Being the all mature and knowledgeable Ayase- _sama_ and stuff."

"There you go making things up again… I never said I'm particularly knowledgeable or anything, geez... Though, with how much free time I've been having, I don't think there will be a problem."

"Great! Splendid! But back to Kanako's dinner antics… remember when she said she's consistently cooking now? Well, I for one…"

As she continued on, it dawned upon me that I very might have my entire schedule absolutely demolished by a certain new arrival. One I really should tell them about soon…

This thought kept pestering my head while we came ever closer to our respective homes. We took our farewells, and I crossed what remaining distance there was to my house. Soon enough, I gently opened the door, expecting some peace and quiet. Some relief after a busy day. Dad should've still been at work, after all.

What I found, however, was an eerie silence. Merely a few seconds after entering, my feeling of discomfort grew to levels that bordered that of the last day. Not a single noise could be heard. No television, talk from phone calls, shuffling indicating life in the kitchen. The living room window never let in enough light for it to brighten up properly, but from my hallway position, not a single flicker reached me. My eyes flew around, instinctively scanning my surroundings for anything that may be out of the ordinary. Aside from what I noted, of course.

I pushed away the thought of ghosts and entered the living room to continue my reconnaissance, and at first, my gaze flew right over the figure sitting in the armchair to the side. So I nearly jumped backward when my father's voice erased the pin-drop silence.

"Welcome back. I'm afraid there are a few things we need to tell you."

"Eh-huh? What sort of things?"

My answer came about half an octave higher than my usual voice. The whole ordeal seemed so weird that I got the urge to chuckle, despite his tone not indicating anything positive. I probably hadn't attuned to the home atmosphere yet.

"Well, it appears that the whole packing business didn't take quite as long as anticipated."

"Does that mean…"

"Yes. Today, around eight."

I had my explanation for the state of the house. Mom probably called him home after receiving the news… if he left work to come home, it really must've been a shocker. They likely weren't too happy, even if he seems to have accepted it. So mom's probably in their room, dealing with it her own way. All accommodations that have to be made, that we thought could wait, need to be done now. Again, things were quickly getting out of hand. Besides that, though…

"Hold on now! Isn't this going way too fast? I thought we had at least until weekend, or-"

"Life isn't always fair. I'm sure you're familiar enough with the saying by now, but… ah. Be sure to be here when he comes. I want to get the things inside as fast as possible."

Just like that. I don't know why I was so surprised. Compared to the shock that came the day before, this should've been nothing. The magnitudes were entirely different. One impacts lives, while the other just proves a slight inconvenience.

There really is no comparison between the two. For some reason, however, this riled me up as much, if not more. I had already accepted the previous one, at least mostly, and come to terms with the big fish in the pond. Problem was, I'd grabbed on to the knowledge that I'd have some days to prepare. If the crutch was stripped away, it left me just as unprepared as upon first hearing it.

I was completely paralyzed where I stood as this flashed through my mind. For a moment, my skin seemed to crawl, despite not being quite the appropriate reaction. If someone quoted the saying "like lightning from clear sky", I probably would've punched them.

Oblivious to my concerns, Dad stood up and marched toward their room. Or actually, I imagine he was very much aware of my thought process. He probably went through the same sometime before. Great.

After turning on a few lights as to counteract the gloom within the house, I headed to my room, my steps making the stairs creak like always. I felt they were amplified to their double if not more. Well, good to see the oldness aspect was as well-kept as ever.

So, back to the bed I went. I planned on preparing for our shopping trip at this time, perhaps calling the others in the meantime. So I guess that part of my predictions were accurate. The others had to be called, indeed… just not for the purpose I originally intended. But to tell them the event we planned, got excited for and felt would mark the beginning of our new school year will either be cancelled, or a shell of itself.

So much for settling their suspicions, I guess. If what took place this morning came from me "acting strangely", something I didn't notice myself, this will absolutely take the lid of the box. I'd have to explain myself… latest tomorrow.

Kanata… what's with the name, anyways? I thought he was supposed to be a boy. I doubted mom had any say in picking the name, as she leans toward the more conventional… That father of his appears to have had some eccentric tastes. As it stands, he shares the name of Kanako's sister, with whom I'm admittedly not terribly familiar.

But what point is there in delaying? I should get it over with as fast as possible, to avoid causing inconveniences for the others. And I'm very aware that this is the logical, optimal course of action… why can't I get myself to stand up? I'm sure it won't be anything serious anyways. They'll probably be a little disheartened, perhaps annoyed, or even concerned. All in all, nothing that will set any serious bulks in our friendships, unlike certain other events.

Before I had time to think through what exactly I wanted to say, a sudden wave of enthusiasm resulted in holding the phone, dialing Kirino's number. I hoped she could pass it on to Kanako, as contacting both of them was avoidable, albeit not my proudest choice.

"Ah, hey Ayase! What's going on?"

"Hi! Well, um, do you remember back during the break after first class?"

The cheery tone she used for greetings couldn't have been more different than the one she replied with now. It really became clear how she only neglected mentioning it for my sake.

"…Yes, I do. Absolutely. You want to elaborate on that?"

"Sort of. It turns out I can't come today…"

The line went quiet for a second. Two seconds. Three seconds. I licked the corners of my lips, noticing they'd gone dry in the meantime.

"Sure. Sometimes things happen. Though, could you tell me why?"

"Ah hah… thing is, not quite."

Once more, no immediate response came. As time passed, my chest felt more and more weird. As if something were churning terribly…

Finally, Kirino let out a very much audible sigh.

"I won't pry into your personal life if you don't want to… but am I correct in guessing that it's the same thing as morning?"

Despite not mentioning it directly, I could absolutely feel the lingering hurt behind her sentence. Luckily, before I had time to dwell on it, she changed the subject ever so slightly.

"Yes. I promise to tell you tomorrow, but for now… I'm sorry, Kirino. Please tell Kanako."

"Sure thing. But I better expect some good explanation tomorrow."

For the first time ever while using this device, I almost physically felt the click that came with house phones at the end. It's stupid, really. But I suppose it serves as some kind of closure following a conversation after all.

She really did sound concerned. And what's with me? I would've told her in a heartbeat not so long ago. Back before… well, everything happened. We had no secrets for each other… actually, that's not accurate either. I didn't know about her otaku side back then. So no, looking at the past with tinted lenses shouldn't serve as any means to express regret.

And so I told myself. Problem is, I doubt this call exactly served to better our relationship. If anything, it widened the gap. She was right; I'd have to come with a really good explanation the next day. And hopefully play it off as something not quite so serious…

"Ayase! Come down for a minute!"

Mom's voice reached my room without problems, and I, thankful for probably getting something to do, obeyed the call instantaneously. What'd follow was a short discussion about how we'd take care of the carrying and the like. Only practicalities, really. Certainly nothing that should've warranted such a collective family-meeting.

The aforementioned, among other things made it clear that this ordeal has taken its toll on everyone. Even in such a short time since the "announcement", they seemed tired. It really is strange, honestly. I mean, we hadn't even met the lad yet.

* * *

 **Kanata**

Come to think of it, there wasn't really any reason to be nervous.

Sitting in the seat beside a friend of my dad who offered to drive me, a few lines kept repeatedly flashing through my head.

They said yes. It's not something they would've done if they didn't mean it. The response even arrived mere hours after the initial call. I really doubted it would get worse there, anyways. One could look at this as a chance to start anew.

Regardless of how much I said it, the lack of effects was pretty clear. I've heard of plenty of stories where the speaker evokes emotions and sends the masses riling with words. However, the opposite didn't appear to be true. In my case, at least. At a point, I just gave up trying to talk down whatever might be bothering me, and resigned to the gloom. What do you know, losing your parents isn't too nice of an experience.

Apparently, only around five minutes remained before our arrival. I didn't know how to feel about the mess that I was being replaced by still growing nervousness, but I didn't mind the change so much. After all, anything that could make me forget about the sheer shock was more than welcome. Hopefully, more things would come to replace it.

Annoyingly so, the weather was beautiful. One could go shirtless without freezing in the slightest, not that I wanted to try it. I always imagined this scene to be dark and soggy, well, in the short period since it happened. In the grand scheme of things, I guess it didn't really matter.

My things were in the back of the car, and weren't extraordinarily numerous to begin with. So especially here, we weren't disturbed by them at all. Not having many possessions finally became an advantage. I had only my clothes, computer, a few books and other necessities. Nothing really special. Or perhaps the lack thereof counted as special, I don't know.

My thoughts shifted towards the immediate future for a little bit. I suppose this would be my first meeting with my mother. My real one, at least. Dad never really talked about her, especially then. I'd seen a few pictures on occasion, back when I was basically crawling around. Despite my early age, the image of her was burned into my eyes. A gentle smile, hair just like mine, an intelligent-looking face… how old was it? 15, 16 years? I wonder how she's changed.

I didn't really know anything about my soon-to-be step-father. Hopefully it wouldn't follow in the steps of my previous experiences with step-parents. I'm sure we'll get along, anyways. If my absolutely uninformed impression of this new family could be trusted, I would be in good hands. Disregarding the entire moving to a new city thing.

Lastly, there is of course my sister. I knew the last name of my mother, Aragaki. And one day, I just so happened to stumble over a clip from a magazine, featuring none other than that very girl. From that small page, I was able to determine that she was deserving of her position, through and through. That's to say, she looked stunning. I just really hope she didn't exemplify the diva aspects of her profession.

So, despite knowing some raw information, I had absolutely zero idea what was going to happen, which then again lead back to being nervous. A great cycle, don't you think?

I almost slipped back into my spiral, but the voice of the person beside me interrupted my racing thoughts.

"All right- this should be it. Get ready now."

Already? This wasn't five minutes! Sure didn't feel like it at least… well, I how one perceives the flow of time is meaningless, against the ever-ticking machinery on your hand. For further proof, take two days ago. It's only been around two minutes since then, no? Since they told me that my entire family died?

With a sudden hark, the engine stopped, and thereby the car came to a halt as well. I suddenly realized this was it. We'd arrived.

"Let's get your stuff outside, okay? I don't think I'll stop to talk, so I'll leave right after."

"Yes, that sounds fine… thank you."

"No problem, kid. Best of luck to you."

Bringing the few boxes and suitcases out of the trunk didn't really take long. The chilly wind that accompanied us made the already little exertion of force feel like absolutely nothing, which I didn't mind. The sun wasn't ready to set quite yet, but it had moved a bit westward, enough to color the skies slightly orange. Rising sun would've made for better symbolism… if one cares about that sort of stuff. Studying the exterior of the house a little, I found that it had two stories, and probably had more than enough space for an extra person. I felt a little relieved at that, seeing as I hopefully wouldn't cause too much trouble.

Keeping his words, my drive left right after all the baggage laid on the short path through the similarly small garden. So… here I was. Now all that remained was gathering the courage to ring the bell. Thinking about it, the task might be a little harder than initially anticipated.

Er… did I really dare to just go forward and… press it? With that, I would enter a new chapter of my life. Hopefully it'd be an improvement from the previous one. Still, wouldn't I be impeding on a poor family, practically waltzing in here announced only a day ago?

No, right. They explicitly said yes. If they didn't mean it, they could've just done the same as the others who refused. Doesn't that itself mark them as decent?

But I still haven't moved a step closer to it since the car drove off. Come on feet… go now.

I stood still attempting to move when the door opened without any announcement. For a moment, I got a glimpse to the hallway inside. Before I had time to study it though, a face showed up. A face I had seen before, and probably would have recognized anywhere at any time.

The face of my mother.

If there were any signs of aging, I didn't spot them. She looked just as I had envisioned her, actually. I didn't know how to interpret the slight jump backward when our eyes met, but the door opened fully soon after, leaving me no more time to ponder.

"Ah… hello, Kanata. Do you need help getting the boxes inside?"

"Yes, please. That… would be nice."

Good God, how awkward this was. I honestly didn't know what to say, and I'm fairly sure she shared my sentiment as well. This was my mother, who I've never met before. I suppose by this age parents and children are supposed to have a developed relationship, putting aside rebellious phases. But, obviously, we didn't have that.

So what ended up happening was that we moved everything in front of the door, as to easier get them inside. It felt quite weird; watching all my belongings being so casually moved around. As if my life was a small piece of fabric being thrown around by the unpredictable winds. Not that the correlation was too significant, but the thought made me feel all strange nevertheless. Maybe it also had something to do with the silence that could almost be felt, as thick as it was.

"Was your trip all right? Someone drove you, no?"

She stopped up for a moment after we finished, and turned to me, concerned, for seemingly no reason.

"Yes, a friend of my father's. And… I can't really say this enough, but thanks for having me."

"Of course. I'm really glad to have you here. I'm sure Ayase and Touma feel the same way."

"I certainly hope so…"

I didn't know the reason for my small chuckle at the end. Well, at that point, I was beginning to wonder slightly where the other two were. While I couldn't say I particularly minded only my mother's being here, I still had anticipated meeting the others. Perhaps they were away somewhere... in a sense, that was good. I wanted to intrude as little as possible, and them being away meant they didn't see me as a significant disturbance to their daily lives. I couldn't really hold them at fault for that, could I?

In fact, we began taking the things actually inside. As we entered the house, I couldn't help but quietly annouce;

"Sorry for intruding."

But my mother appeared to catch the slight mumble, and responded.

"Oh, you really don't need to. This will be your new home, after all. There won't be any use in greeting an empty room, will there?"

However, I couldn't say I had quite grown accustomed to such a degree of attention. Not for my mumbles to be remarked, anyways. So I found myself at a little loss for balance. Not physically, mind you, but my tongue got even more confused than before, if possible. Therefore, I ended up nodding.

Thus we continued. Just when I thought I'd gotten a fairly good grasp of what was to come, I heard footsteps down the stairs. Now, I had little to no experience with stairs, seeing as my previous home had none, but the sounds this brought really were quite remarkable. Almost like the ceiling was about to come down, shrieking in agony from the pressure and pain. The source of these sounds was moving, but due to everything else going on factors, I couldn't determine the weight, and thereby couldn't guess the person in question. I only drew the conclusion that at least someone else was home.

Obviously, things had become quite cramped by now in the entrance hall. It wasn't very large to begin with- a small space in front of the door for shoes, after which the floor rose in a sudden hump, before the door to the middle hallway. A green carpet went through both of these, and the stairs, which were just beside, boasted a similar color. If any of us were particularly tall, the ceiling height might've been a problem as well.

So I turned the corner as to get a better overview- for now I wanted to get them to their place as quickly as possible, before moving on to actually talking with my newfound family. Needless to say, my focus wasn't quite on point. It more impacted my spatial awareness- I'd actually forgotten about the arrival down the stairs once the worst of the creaking stopped.

The result? I found myself face to face with my sister.

Our heights were about even, with her perhaps standing just a tad over me. I've seen her face before, and she wasn't particularly different from then. But to be quite frank, images failed to convey how incredibly… I'm not sure how to put it. Adorable might not be the most accurate word, but I'd also hesitate to use the term "beautiful", seeing as it was my sister we were talking about. So… amplify everything described above about two times, and you should have an idea.

During the brief moment it took to formulate this evaluation, our eyes happened to meet. Out of sheer reflex, I glanced aside, though not before seeing her furrowing her brows in a somewhat peculiar manner. Almost as if… she wasn't sure how to react.

Sense of reason thrown out of the window, I decided to speak up.

"Ah…hello."

My eloquence never failed to amaze me. This was a gem that especially stands out.

"Hi. Kanata… right?"

"Yes. And you're Ayase, then?"

"That would be me, indeed."

Opening lines never were my cup of tea, for good reason. Still, she seemed to take it well. I found her wording a tad… unusual, but nothing to get hung up on.

"Well… pleased to make your acquaintance. Though, we'll be living under to same roof, so getting acquainted may not be a bad thing."

"I suppose not."

Her slight chuckle at the end made me follow along, and I noticed some of my tension disappearing, most notably in the form of my muscles not being completely stiff. Ayase's eyes jumped around a little, fastening on the living room, and I think some silence would've followed if our… yes, our mother hadn't appeared at the door.

"Ah, I see you've met. I hope you'll get along nicely, but for now, let's get these boxes up to the room."

So I would be going upstairs, then. I didn't know what to think about that, since it'd be a new experience, even if I knew it's in all cases better than directly by the entrance. My mother then raised her voice, shouting off to some corner of the house.

"Touma! Could you help out a little?"

I presumed that's my step-father. Come to think of it, he hadn't showed up by then. Wasn't that a little strange in itself? He might have been busy with something, I suppose. That's probably why. Although the word "step" was far from my favorite, the others have been very nice, so I assumed he followed the same pattern. Someone with such a good family can hardly be evil or anything.

Still, my stomach seemed to clench up strangely after the answer that came soon after.

"I'll be there in a moment!"

My mother clicked her tongue and sat down on one of the boxes, after checking if they could tolerate her weight. Ayase followed her example, the two clearly intent on waiting it out.

And we needed not wait too long, for within a minute, the figure of a relatively tall man appeared from the living room. I say relatively, as I don't think he counted as particularly tall compared to others than us.

His face didn't bear any indications toward what he felt, which albeit not disturbing, I found a little _uncomforting_. I didn't really know what to make of him. Admittedly, the small glasses on his nose looked a little out of place, but his appearance practically reeked of conciseness. Simple clothing, mostly black, just like his hair. I got the impression that he must be in some high position somewhere. However, currently, he was approaching me quite rapidly.

The churning in my stomach turned stronger, and I was tempted to take a few steps backward. Quite idiotic, according to all logic, and quite reasonable, in the situation.

Finally he stopped, and stretched out his hand. I stared at it blindly for a moment before shaking it. He grasped my hand firmly, but not too hard. Clearly, much practice had gone into such accuracy.

"I'm Touma. Terrible, what happened to your parents, but you're more than welcome here. Now, let's get those boxes up, shall we?"

As if they'd been bound together by some spell, my nervousness went further down the higher the corners of his mouth rose. The final hitch I'd feared appeared to be nonexistent. In the first place, it was an unwarranted one, but one that existed nevertheless. Strangely enough, I felt as if warmth spread through me as I grabbed a box and followed my step-father upstairs.

Everything went a little hazy from there. They introduced me to my room, which to be sure, exceeded my previous one in size considerably. With a bed already on one side and a desk on the other, it had more than enough space for about anything you may think of. Also, you basically couldn't get further from the entrance than this, which I very much welcomed. Being taken by surprise from a sudden arrival is no pleasant experience. A sole window provided some natural light, and for whenever it became needed, a curtain hung on the side as well.

We dumped everything on the floor, not exchanging too many words in the process. An understandable notion- despite my step-father being surprisingly pleasant whenever there was a reason to talk, the aforementioned air of awkwardness wouldn't budge quite so easily. But, overall, my impression was one of hope. Perhaps… everything that had happened needn't be all negative.

Finally, time came for when packing out would've been appropriate. Seeing as the process is a timely one, and supper was almost ready, a reasonable compromise was formed.

"Listen, I'll go down to eat now. I think you have a better clue about where you want your things, so just come down whenever you're done."

"That sounds great. I might take some time to finish, though…"

"Well, we'll be sure to save some for you."

He nodded one last time before leaving and carefully closing the door, thereby leaving me in the rather spacious room that'd be the center of my new home. As the creaking vanished from his steps, I slumped down in the bed, limbs spread out like my muscles had been turned to liquid. I lay there for a few minutes, studying the ceiling with utmost care.

Come to think of it, this might've been the first time I'd had any peace since they first brought me the news. Not necessarily the first time I'd been alone- no, in fact, most of the time had been spent alone. What I mean is real peace, where you can relax. The first real semblence of it. Obviously, it's impossible to forget, to get everything entirely out of your mind. However, that doesn't have to mean it cannot be overshadowed. It really was strange...

I first didn't believe it, you know. My whole family had died- I took it for a bad joke. A really, really bad one.

Actually, I needed a solid hour of convincing before it dawned. What possible reason, benefit, would they have by telling me this? Absolutely none, of course- which made it quite likely that they were telling the truth. Then came another half an hour of sitting still, dazed, staring at the wall.

I saw my life shattered into many, many tiny pieces, not even beginning to comprehend the consequences this may've had. Would I be allowed to stay at home without any guardians? Would I have to move? More importantly, where to? And what would I do?

Throughout, my mind was like honey. Clear thoughts were seldom- so much so, that before I'd had time even speak up, they already tried to organize, and failed, in finding a home for me. A sensible reaction remained out of question as I watched them blitz around relentlessly.

Then, a clever mind remembered that in fact, I did have a real mother, somewhere out there. Few hours later, came the response that decided my fate.

The following evening and night passed in what seemed like minutes. Almost before I knew it everything including me sat in the car, completely packed up.

My parents' friends and I never were particularly, no, even a little close, but I suppose they felt some peculiar sense of duty to help me out. Seeing the child of a former friend in that state would take its toll on anyone, I suppose. Regardless of their motivations, it's a gesture I'll forever be grateful for.

For the ride, I believe I'd already touched on it. My mental balance had been restored somewhat, enough to feel that terrible sense of nervousness that plagued me until the very last minutes.

The seed, however, had been planted. Perhaps... I could have better life now? The previous one, while not very favorable, really wasn't a terrible one. No, definitely not. Still, they say hope is the last thing to die, which definitely bears some truth, at least in keeping someone at the brink of breaking moving.

And what do you know. From what I'd seen so far, my hopes turned out to be true. Should the future turn out somewhat similarly to how I wish it to, I cannot say with complete certainity that I would desire to revert what happened, if I had the opportunity. After all, I had wanted to see my mother my whole life, and now I finally got to.

But hold up, now... I'll keep them waiting if I waste any more time pointlessly laying around... let's pack out, shall we? I have finish this process quickly if I'm to grow familiar to this place.

I do, after all, know absolutely nothing about my current situation still, and what is to come.

* * *

 **AN** : Well, this took quite some time to finish, and for good reason. Exams, auditions and all kinds of other fun stuff came up. The biggest reason, however, was simply that I didn't really enjoy writing this chapter. I have a fairly good idea as of where the story would go, but I doubt it'll be continued for a while. Consider it an indefinite hiatus. Though, we did finally introduce our second POV-character, so the actual story finally begins. When the time for Chapter 3 will come I don't know, but I'm at least happy we made it through two chapters now.


End file.
